Topics of Discussion Between Martin & I During Our Evening Walks Yesterday & Today: Greek, Indian and Norse Mythology, Whether Trickster Gods are Good or Bad, Why Some Kids Are Bullies, Which Book to Read Next After Oz3, Whether Watching Harry Potter Would Scare Him Now Since Narnia Didn’t.
I’ve always loved Greek mythology. I took several courses in it, along with Art History, during college, and still have several reference books on my shelves. I think my love goes back to a particular book (although it could just be because of Wonder Woman on TV when I was an impressionable tot, who knows?) that I checked out of the library over and over again when I was growing up: D’Aulaire’s Book of Greek Myths. O how I loved that book! I got lost in the smudged lines of the brightly colored charcoal illustrations, poring over every detail, memorizing names and stories, wishing MY family tree was half so interesting as Zeus’.
I found the book again as an adult and Martin and I are planning to read it either next or after we read The Magician’s Nephew. We got on the subject because of centaurs, which Martin is fascinated with, and because Martin’s class has apparently been doing some work with different mythologies. Tonight, as we walked our half-circle around Flyinge, we talked quite a bit about all the different kinds of half-man-half-beasts and half-and-half-beasts that ancient peoples came up with to help explain their world and tell stories about. Centaurs, minotaurs, griffins, mermaids. I told Martin most of the story of Theseus and the labyrinth, but realized to my dismay that I didn’t remember all the details, so it will be fun to read the book again with him and rediscover some of my first loves: Athena and Artemis, Pegasus, Echo, Perseus and Medusa, the 9 Muses, and all the rest.
After a week of staying up too late, getting up too early (darn that day job!) and not sleeping well inbetween, I finally crashed yesterday. Martin and I walked immediately after I got home, I battled my drooping eyelids during dinner, did some AWC work and finally gave up at 9:15 and went to bed with Robert Heinlein (another one of my first loves). He couldn’t keep my attention long though; I was asleep within minutes, which is why there was no entry yesterday. No blog for the weary.
Stefan Geen, whose blog I’ve run across once or twice in the course of things, mentioned my journal a few days ago in a list of those writing in the anglo-Swedish blogosphere, along with several others whom I read or consider friends. He defines the following 3 Lessons for Better Blogging:
- Choose a genre and exploit all its possibilities
- Blog what you’re passionate about
- Find a niche and dominate it
In perusing those 3 lessons, I think I probably fail dismally at his definition of what makes a better blogger. I also think that Lesson 1 and Lesson 3 are kissing cousins, if not actual siblings.
I haven’t chosen a genre or found a niche, much less dominated it. I’m passionate about a lot of things, but rarely to the point of obsession or single-mindedness. In fact, I often feel I’m all over the place, all over the map, flailing wildly about, pausing here, jumping there, popping up in unexpected places.* If I have a voice that unites my writings, I suspect it’s serendipitous. I know what kind of blogger I’m NOT, but I find it very hard to define what kind I AM. Personally, I’m rarely drawn to the types of blogs that are fixated upon one particular subject, that are topical, or one-track. I’m most often drawn to the WRITING, the personality and voice, the PERSONALIZING of anecdotes and stories and overheards. As I’ve said before, I’m drawn to beauty, that’s my drug. I work hard* to provide it here, if not on a daily basis, at least with some sort of consistency, but whether or not I succeed is not always up to me. It’s up to you.
*Hence the name of this journal.
**I write! I delete! I re-write! I edit! I research! I link!…and sometimes I just let it flow. 🙂